Hi,

my family is going to either Cancun or the Riveria Maya over Christmas. The reason we picked this location is I wanted a beach and to be able to swim in the ocean and my husband and kids wanted the Mayan Ruins. My husband had his heart set on Chichen Itza until he found out he could not climb the pyramids . . . is this true? If it is does anyone know any ruins that you can climb that are worth seeing? WE've done some reading on Coba but are unsure where to go. Also, does anyone know what the beach is like at the Crown Paridise in Cancun or the Sandos Playcar Beach Resort? (I know about the Sandos topless beach goers and am not concerned because I have three girls who will find it funny if anything.)

Also, does Cancun or Playa do anything for Christmas?

Thanks in advance!

You can climb pyramid at Coba and one minor pyramid at Uxmal (not the big one). Can't climb at Tulum. Don't have info on beaches.

You can also climb the Kings's Palace at Ek Balam which is a small but amazing site between Chichen Itza and Coba. People haven't been able to climb Chichen Itza for a few years now. Coba is the tallest castillo in the Yucatan and is still climbable. That being said, Chichen Itza is quite incredible. It is more of a groomed and open feeling than Coba which is more of a jungle experience. You can rent pedicabs or ride bikes at Coba to get to the different areas if you wish.

Yes, it is true that due to a fatal fall climbing the large pyramid is not permitted. But Chichen Itza was so impressive. Our family of ten was at Playa several weeks ago, all together to celebrate our wedding anniversary and several graduations. We rented a spacious villa and did some cooking, some eating out. Different people did different things...zip line, beach, snorkeling, catamaran, bird sanctuary.

Ozarksbill
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You can climb some of the pyramids in Palenque.

I know! I did!! My foot gave way and I'm still trying to heal the broken bones....5 months later.

So be careful!!!! But enjoy.

Palenque is lovely and sooo green and lush.....fascinating!! At least until you fall!!!

Palenque was the most amazing of all the sites for us and you can climb nearly all of it. Most of the smaller sites are climable too.

Try to visit the more well known sites early in the day to avoid the crowds.

this is just my opinion, but I don't think it's a good idea to base the decision on which pyramids you can climb up.

Chichen Itza is spectacular, and shouldn't be missed. And, if you see the steps going up the pyramid there, you can easily see why they don't let people go up.

Chichen Itza is much more "developed" in that the grounds have been cleared of lots of the brush, the ruins have been better excavated, and the general infrastructure is better. It is an awesome place and well worth the visit. Coba was left in the state of the first excavation (on purpose) so there is more jungle, less clearance of the grounds, and the ruins are as found originally. It too is an awesome place and you can climb the pyramid there.

When we were at Chichen Itza it was still possible to climb the main pyramid, which we did. It was very steep and really was a bit scary coming down. No longer allowed to climb it. The pyramid at Coba is larger and can still be climed, but it did not seem as steep and seemed less scary. Well worth the climb.

Tulum is a very pretty place but all the ruins are roped off and can not be accessed. It has more of the feel of an outdoor musuem, but the grounds are great and the beach front setting is awesome.

Excursions can be booked at most hotels for all the ruins. If you stay in the Tulum area (we stayed at Dreams Tulum - very nice) Coba and Tulum are very close. We rented a car and drove to Coba which was easy drive and it is only about 40 kilometers from the town of Tulum. Tulum ruins are right there.

We did Chichen Itza when we were staying at the Marriot in Cancun and booked via a tour company. That was an all day affair as it is further inland. The tour included lunch at the hotel located just outside the ruins, admission, and round trip bus.

If you have any interest in Mayan ruins you must do at least one of these while there.

I have to agree with Reisender about basing your decision on which ruins to visit on if you can climb the pyramids or not. We've been to Chichen Itza, Coba and Tulum and all three have different things to offer. We went to Chichen Itza first and found it to be the most spectacular due to it's size and probably it's history as well. We had a great guide who told us so much about the place. The mystique surround it seemed so incredible. When we went you could climb the pyramid, and I chose not to, but my husband did. I don't think he felt he got any more from the day than I did though! We went on a group tour and it was a full day including lunch. It was a very long day, but we enjoyed it a lot.

Coba - is much more natural, less excavated. Our guide didn't go into nearly as much detail, but the ruins were fascinating to me. It's in the jungle which is a totally different surrounding than Chichen Itza. We did this as part of the Altournative Mayan Encounter tour and it was a great day, including the Coba ruins, a zip line, rapelling, kayaking, hiking, lunch in a mayan village, swimming in a cenote etc...Again a long day, but a lot of fun. Very small group, I think 6 of us. I found a great appreciation for the Coba ruins and both my husband and I climbed the pyramid there.

Tulum, the beauty is what gets you there becuase it's right on the ocean. You can't climb any ruins, but there are quite a few structures. We again went on a tour and our guide was not great. But we learned about these particular Mayans and the difference between them and the ones at the other ruins. It's a much smaller site.

I'd pick Coba or Chiche Itza for your first mayan ruin.

I don't know about the beaches at either resort though - sorry!